Sony should be applauded for a fantastic – and intensely focused – PlayStation 4 unveiling event this past week. Sure, the Quantic Dream and Media Molecule portions of the conference were misses, but by and large Sony kept its inaugural PS4 messaging focused on the core gamer and all of the core gamer-friendly services the PS4 offers – an effective strategy not only given that Sony needs to win those people back, but also because the early adopters who will pay the console’s asking price will be the dedicated, hardcore players.
And now that it’s over, you can bet that Microsoft was watching intently and taking notes. Odds are it already has its presentation reasonably locked-in, but the company would be negligent – and not to mention foolish – if it wasn’t at least a bit reactionary to Sony’s event. After all, that’s the trade-off for going second: it can afford to be. On the one hand, Microsoft is in a position to tweak their Xbox 3 reveal based on Sony’s event. On the other, however, Sony has set a rather high bar. Here’s what Microsoft needs to do with their imminent next-gen Xbox reveal in order to trump Sony’s event.Be Up Front with the Technical Specifications

Sony showed a lot of confidence by coming right out – at the very beginning of their presentation, no less – and detailing some of the PS4’s tech specs. Throwing out terms like “teraflops” and GDDR5 RAM – even if you didn’t know what it meant – made overtures to the hardcore gamers that said, “We’re here for you, and we’re serious about making a beast of a games machine.” It even went so far as to release a one-sheet with all of the actual, detailed specs after the show ended.
Microsoft, I’m convinced, does not want to show specific numbers, particularly if the raw Xbox 720 numbers don’t top the PS4’s. However, a little bit of transparency would go a long way here. The figures are rumored to be nearly identical between the two systems, so it’s up to Microsoft to counter that punch by letting the GHz, cores, and milliseconds fly.Focus on the Next Xbox as a Games Machine
The PlayStation 4 has a Kinect-like camera sensor. What? You forgot already? That’s because Sony mentioned it precisely once near the beginning of their conference…and then never spoke of it again. It'll talk about it in greater detail later, of course, but it was smart enough to realize that the core gamer it was focused on winning back with this initial announcement wouldn’t want to hear a single word about a Kinect-like device just yet. And so it didn’t risk losing a single bit of their momentum by talking more about it.
Microsoft, by contrast, can’t and simply won’t follow the same path in this department. Kinect will be a big part of the next Xbox, and as such they’re likely to highlight it at their big unveiling. However, the company would be wise to minimize any non-games Kinect functionality, and what is shown – both tech-wise and software-wise – had better be good.Bring the First-Party Thunder
It’s way too early for anything on Halo 5 after Halo 4 just shipped three months ago. Ditto for Gears of War, since the prequel Judgment is out next month. However, Microsoft can tickle hardcore gamers by reaching a little deeper into their first-party stable. Showing the heavily rumored Fable MMORPG would be big, as would the undoubtedly gorgeous Forza Motorsport 5. Rare is bound to be working on something new, too – unless MS wants to cause a happy riot by announcing Killer Instinct 3. The wild card that would send the fanboys into a tizzy? Alan Wake 2. It’s rumored to exist, and it’s rumored to be an Xbox exclusive. Hmm……And Flex the Third-Party Muscle Too

Sony trotted out a prerecorded video message from the highly reclusive Jason Jonesto show a bit more of Destiny and announce Sony-exclusive content for their upcoming cross-gen “shared world shooter.” It also scored a deal with the mighty Blizzard to bring platinum-selling PC powerhouse action-RPG Diablo III to the current and next-generation PlayStations.
Microsoft, then, needs to reassure their loyalists by also bringing Bungie onstage to dish on Destiny. After all, the House That Halo Built is no ordinary studio for Xbox fans; there’s an extra layer of loyalty and dedication, and it’s important for Microsoft and Bungie to remind gamers that it has not forsaken its most passionate followers. Meanwhile, everyone and their mother knows that Call of Duty will release for every major current- and next-gen platform, but a reveal of the next Infinity Ward blockbuster would go a long way towards placating the Xbox masses.Keep Xbox Live Alive

Xbox Live has long been Microsoft’s Trojan horse – the secret weapon that keeps players bound to the Xbox ecosystem. PlayStation Network has always been two steps behind Live, perennially playing catch-up. But Sony unleashed new social initiatives that have potentially huge ramifications – being able to share always-on video footage of your gameplay, and allowing your friends to spectate or even take over your game remotely at any time. What can Microsoft do to evolve Xbox Live in order to stay ahead and remind the world that it's the market leader in the online console gaming space? They’d better have an answer when they unveil the next Xbox.What About Backwards Compatibility?
Sony was honest about the PlayStation 4’s backwards compatibility – or lack thereof out of the gate – and even though one high-level industry executive told IGN that an incredibly small percentage of players ever make use of it, hardcore players nevertheless like the idea of the backwards compatibility security blanket. We believe Microsoft will not offer full Xbox 360 compatibility on their new machine, but it is entirely possible that it could support gamers’ “digital libraries” (read: downloaded games). That could be a big factor for early adopters, and might also serve to soften the blow if the rumor about the new Xbox blocking used games proves correct.Let the Games Begin

The ball is in Microsoft’s court now. Unlike last generation, Team Master Chief is the market leader now. It’s their throne to hold, but Sony is gunning for it. However their next-gen Xbox press conference goes, it’s going to be fun to follow the festivities.

I'd add... announce a new, exciting IP, and hopefully a new Studio. Microsoft really needs more First Party muscle.

the rushed PS4 reveal was anything but fantastic. no console on show, none of the expected big exclusive AAA games, a few multi-plat games/engines thatt will also be on 720. oh yes.. a reveal on a memory increase that most all knew nothing about (especially the devs).

so what do MS need to counter the above at E3? i'd say its Sony that will have to do the countering going off MS's lack of response to the none PS4 reveal.

$#@! kinect and all that OS $#@! because they have no importance on my decision of purchasing a 720. MS needs more than 4 big budget titles in rotation to even grab my attention. They got a lot to prove to me.

the rushed PS4 reveal was anything but fantastic. no console on show, none of the expected big exclusive AAA games, a few multi-plat games/engines thatt will also be on 720. oh yes.. a reveal on a memory increase that most all knew nothing about (especially the devs).

so what do MS need to counter the above at E3? i'd say its Sony that will have to do the countering going off MS's lack of response to the none PS4 reveal.

lol, your arguments are pretty bad. Who cares what the console looks like? Its what is inside that counts and Sony definitely made a splash there. Also no AAA exclusives!? Killzone and inFamous disagree!

the rushed PS4 reveal was anything but fantastic. no console on show, none of the expected big exclusive AAA games, a few multi-plat games/engines thatt will also be on 720. oh yes.. a reveal on a memory increase that most all knew nothing about (especially the devs).

so what do MS need to counter the above at E3? i'd say its Sony that will have to do the countering going off MS's lack of response to the none PS4 reveal.

$#@! kinect and all that OS $#@! because they have no importance on my decision of purchasing a 720. MS needs more than 4 big budget titles in rotation to even grab my attention. They got a lot to prove to me.

Same here. And MS is showing no signs of changing that either. But hey MS got season 2 of The Lebrons as an exclusive. lol As for E3 I expect MS to show mostly multiplats and then bore us to death with OS and Kinect 2.0 features and maybe some more TV shows and sports stuff that can only be seen on the "best entertainment console." lol As far as core first party titles and new IPs go MS is an unarmed opponent compared to Sony.

the rushed PS4 reveal was anything but fantastic. no console on show, none of the expected big exclusive AAA games, a few multi-plat games/engines thatt will also be on 720. oh yes.. a reveal on a memory increase that most all knew nothing about (especially the devs).

so what do MS need to counter the above at E3? i'd say its Sony that will have to do the countering going off MS's lack of response to the none PS4 reveal.

are you kidding me with this bull$#@!?!

MS will have games (awesome games at that), but all of them will have some mandatory kinect feature built it (if one will be included in every box). i hope the box will support some form of comcast or timewarner cable cause it'll make for one hell of a cable box

man i cant wait for the slew of kinectawesomeness gifs that'll come from MS reveal....hopefully Natal 2.0 will be there so we can see little boys get touched

are you kidding me with this bull$#@!?! MS will have games (awesome games at that), but all of them will have some mandatory kinect feature built it (if one will be included in every box). i hope the box will support some form of comcast or timewarner cable cause it'll make for one hell of a cable box man i cant wait for the slew of kinectawesomeness gifs that'll come from MS reveal....hopefully Natal 2.0 will be there so we can see little boys get touched

Thats why I added him to my ignore list. But you quoted him so I can see that particular comment. He just spews the same bs over and over. lol

lol really you need confirmation to validated that MS will pack in there bread and butter with every system they sell? ok buddy lets keep waiting for an official announcement...its like nintendo selling the motion bar separately from the wii

3 Games, tons of online modes... GT wouldn't catch up in hours played (or miles raced) even if the whole installed base starts playing non-stop from now until the PS4. =)

Haha... probably exaggerating but 2 things are for sure, Forza has brought a lot more hours of fun than GT this gen and second... well... that you're bringing your own speculation as facts... Note taken =)

Originally Posted by Nitey

The same group that revealed Forza fans have had million of miles of more fun than GT in this gen.

Agreeing with parts of the article, MS needs to come out with the whole package. Needs to show off some exclusive games that would catch anyone's attention, you already know they will have a pretty good slew of entertainment options, and of course new Live options will make Sony look like it's playing catch up again with it's network.

What I think will really help MS, will be the price. I will not be surprised if they go with the subscription route, making it a cheap next-gen alternative in the short run. Not to mention could really hurt PS4's momentum, regardless if the nextbox is lacking in many areas.

3 Games, tons of online modes... GT wouldn't catch up in hours played (or miles raced) even if the whole installed base starts playing non-stop from now until the PS4. =)

Haha... probably exaggerating but 2 things are for sure, Forza has brought a lot more hours of fun than GT this gen and second... well... that you're bringing your own speculation as facts... Note taken =)

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